Petunia plant named ‘Duepotdared’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Duepotdared’, characterized by its compact, mounding and outwardly spreading to trailing plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; large dark red-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEPOTDARED’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Duepotdared’.

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new compact Petunia cultivars withnumerous unique and attractive flowers.

The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in July, 2006 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selectionof Petunia×hybrida identified as code number T04-0063-008, not patented,as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofPetunia×hybrida identified as code number T05-2043-002, not patented, asthe male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia plant was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environmentin Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since May, 2008,has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plant are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duepotdared’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Duepotdared’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofPetunia:

-   -   1. Compact, mounding and outwardly spreading to trailing plant        habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Large dark red-colored flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in flower color as plants of the female parentselection have pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of themale parent selection in growth habit as plants of the new Petunia aremore compact than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of thePetunia×hybrida ‘Sunremi’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,803. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of thenew Petunia differed primarily from plants of ‘Sunremi’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more compact than plants of        ‘Sunremi’.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had larger leaves than plants of        ‘Sunremi’.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers than plants of        ‘Sunremi’.    -   4. Plants of the new Petunia flowered earlier than plants of        ‘Sunremi’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Petunia plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Duepotdared’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany, under commercialpractice during the summer in 10.5-cm containers in a glass-coveredgreenhouse with day and night temperatures averaging 18° C. and lightlevels averaging 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time three weeksafter planting and were 16 weeks old when the photograph and descriptionwere taken. In the following description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida ‘Duepotdared’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code number T04-0063-008, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code number T05-2043-002, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures of 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, mounding and outwardly            spreading to trailing growth habit; freely branching habit            with about eight to ten lateral branches developing after            pinching; moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 10 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 23 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 14 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 2 cm.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong.        -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.        -   Color.—Close to 144A to 144B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate, simple; after            flowering, opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 6.8 cm.        -   Width.—About 3.7 cm.        -   Shape.—Spatulate.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; leathery.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C to 137D.            Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A;            venation, close to 144B. Fully expanded leaves, lower            surface: Close to 137C; venation, close to 144B.        -   Petiole length.—About 1 cm.        -   Petiole diameter.—About 4 mm.        -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Petiole color, upper surface.—Close to 144A.        -   Petiole color, lower surface.—Close to 144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Large salverform flowers;            single flowers arising from leaf axils; freely flowering            habit with usually about 25 to 30 open flowers and flower            buds per plant; flowers face mostly upright to outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from            late spring into autumn in Germany; early flowering habit,            plants typically beginning flowering about nine weeks after            planting.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five to six            days on the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Flower diameter.—About 5.5 cm.        -   Flower length (height).—About 3.2 cm.        -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Flower tube diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Flower tube length.—About 2.5 cm.        -   Flower bud.—Shape: Ovoid. Length: About 4 cm. Diameter:            About 9 mm. Color: Close to 59B.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and            opening into a flared trumpet. Petal lobe length (from            throat): About 2.6 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.6 cm. Petal            shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin:            Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Rippled,            glabrous. Throat texture: Rippled, glabrous. Tube texture:            Rippled, pubescent. Color: Petal lobe, when opening, upper            surface: Close to 45A. Petal lobe, when opening, lower            surface: Close to 48A. Petal lobe, fully opened, upper            surface: Close to 45B; color becoming closer to 46A with            development; venation, close to 187A. Petal lobe, fully            opened, lower surface: Close to 48A; venation, close to            187A. Flower throat: Close to 187A to 187B; venation, close            to 187B. Flower tube: Close to 175A; venation, close to            175A.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five            sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About            2 cm. Sepal width: About 6 mm. Sepal shape: Oblong. Sepal            apex: Rounded. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, immature and mature,            upper surface: Close to 137A. Color, immature and mature,            lower surface: Close to 137C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.6 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth. Color: Close            to 144B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower.            Filament length: About 1 cm. Filament color: Close to 155A.            Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: About 1.5 mm. Anther            color: Close to 6A to 6B. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen            color: Close to 2D. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower.            Pistil length: About 2.2 cm. Style length: About 1.7 cm.            Style color: Close to 145A to 145B. Stigma shape: Rounded.            Stigma color: Close to 144A to 144B. Ovary color: Close to            144B. Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and    temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 40° C.-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia.

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Duepotdared’ as illustratedand described.